Super Bowl LVII is already making headlines for some of the "firsts" that will be happening in Phoenix on Sunday. Donna Kelce will have a son that is a winner no matter what team he is playing on. Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes will be the first two Black starting quarterbacks to play against each other in a Super Bowl. And last but not least, Autumn Lockwood will be the first Black woman to coach in the Super Bowl.
Who is Autumn Lockwood? And Why Her Presence at Super Bowl LVII Matters
Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Lockwood joined the Eagles coaching staff as the Assistant Sports Performance Coach in 2022. But this isn't her first go-around in Philly. She was born in nearby Delaware County, known to locals as "Delco", (yes, where Mare of Easttown is set in), before moving to West Virginia where she grew up.
Autumn Lockwood comes by both coaching and high level athletic experience naturally. She played collegiate soccer at the University of Arizona. Her father played college football for 3 seasons at West Virginia and also coached on the collegiate level at Minnesota, UNLV, Arizona, and Kentucky as well as a stint with his alma mater. Before coming to the Eagles, Lockwood was a strength and conditioning intern for the Atlanta Flacons. She also spent time as the coordinator of sports at the University of Houston, and in various strength and conditioning roles at UNLV, East Tennessee State, and The University of Arizona.
Lockwood may not be the first woman to coach in the Super Bowl but she is joining company only 3 other women in the 57 years since the big game started and the AFL and NFL merged. She joins 49ers Offensive Assistant Katie Sowers, former Buccaneers assistant and now Titans defensive assistant Lori Locust , and current Buccaneers Assistant Strength Coach, Maral Javadifar. The latter two of which won a ring in Super Bowl LV with Bruce Arians, Tom Brady and the Bucs.
Meet Autumn Lockwood-assistant coach for @Eagles
I had brief chat w/her on field before a game and watched her put players through stretches/warmups!
The players listen & know she?s the best!#LetsGetReadyToRumble ®?????????? ?@AMLockwood_ pic.twitter.com/sSr2n00MT5— Michael Buffer (@Michael_Buffer) February 2, 2023
She not only gets to claim some hometown bragging rights by taking her city of birth's team to the biggest national stage in American sports but also because of the incredible job that the training team that she is part of did this season. Heading into the NFC Championship game all 22 of the Philadelphia Eagles starters were healthy and ready to play. In the first 17 game season in NFL history and dealing with a handful of injuries to significant starters that is no small feat of accomplishment.
Eagles TE Dallas Goedert @goedert33 on asst coach Autumn Lockwood making history as the first Black Woman to coach in the Super Bowl. #SuperBowlLVII pic.twitter.com/b1RnNf3r1t
— Chrystal Stone (@chrystalstone_) February 7, 2023
As a result of extending the regular season to 17 games and going deeper into February the importance of milestones that are taking place in February during Black History Month are becoming even more significant and widely acknowledged. No matter the result on Sunday night there will be a litany of history made and hopefully Autumn Lockwood will not only end up being the first Black woman to coach in the Super Bowl but also the first Black woman to win one too.
